Week Ending June 13, 2019

Dear Room 15 Family,

There is no doubt about it...I am going to miss your kids very much.  This was a special group of kids.

These kids fiercely held onto their individuality while working to create a unified community this year.  Through writing, Morning Meetings, and Talking Circles, students shared what was important, what was problematic and the goals that we each had for ourself.  We know which one of us is the biggest Warriors fan. And who is a HUGE dog lover. We know which one of us loves all animals with a passion the rest just can’t match.  We know which one of us lives to dance and who is a daredevil on the slopes (ok, there’s more than one of those). Break dancing. Duke. Hockey. Marshmello. Basketball.  Airplanes. Lemons. We are a group with a wide range of passions. That’s true with most groups of kids.

 

What’s unique about the people in room 15 this past year was how genuinely interested we were in each other.  I am a big believer in the power of identifying your “thing that makes you tick” and putting effort into growing that.  These kids seemed to be into that, too. Sometimes that meant we just had to go on a bit of a birdwalk...fairy gardens, exploring homelessness a little, researching a class pet, interviewing teachers about their own role models or holding a bake sale for charity.  These were initiated by a question that came up from a student.  The rest of us joined in with interest and we all learned something.  Your kids’ willingness to explore a new question--even one asked by another student--has been inspiring.  Of course, I think that the expectation that the journey towards answering a meaningful question is often more valuable than the answer itself.  It seems like there were many in room 15 who agree with me.

Teachers are brimming with expectations, goals and hopes for every single one of the students they get to teach.  As a second grade teacher, my biggest hope is that our classroom becomes a place that encourages students to safely practice becoming more independent within an environment they helped build.  An environment that feels reliable, flexible and purposeful. This year, I watched your kids help build such a place.

Each of us have things to work on as we keep striving to become better and better.  I know my list of such things is not getting any shorter. During this upcoming summer, I hope that every one of these kids are given time to have agency over their own “boredom.”  While there is just no substitute for a good book, there is an overabundance of curriculum purported to prevent the “summer slide of basic skills.”  Here are some resources that you might choose to use sparingly.  Our very own Mill Valley Public Library once again has an incredible summer reading program for kids that you ought to know about.  In addition, your child brought home a yellow Root Beer Float Ticket.  On it, you will find suggestions of things your child can do to earn an invitation from me to a room 15 reunion of sorts in the fall.

I hope to see many of you around town this summer.  If your child does choose to send me a note via USPS (it’s one of the options on the Root Beer Float Ticket), please let them know that I am a pretty wonderful pen pal and will write back to them promptly!

THANK YOU for supporting your child this year.  Thank you for being supportive of me as your child’s second grade teacher.  And thank you for sending your wonderful kid my way each day this year.

Yours,

Adam

*Use the embedded links above for examples, information and resources.